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Oh my god I think I just had a TECH-GASM!
www.nokia.com/nseries/?loc=inside,main_n90
Nokia N90 phone, 2mp camera, carl zeiss lens!

[[I'm making this sticky for now, so look below for new posts.]]

As of 5:21pm est, I am downloading twit 9 and as soon as it’s done I’ll upload it to my server to share. In a few minutes I’ll post a link to where it is so you can grab it if you need it. Be right back…

TWit #9 AND #10 mirrors are up:

mentalbites.com/asecondblog/twit

about: TWIT, or “This Week In Tech”, with Yoshi Deherrera, Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, Robert Heron, David Prager, Roger Chang and friends, from the original Tech TV, The Screen Savers and Call For Help.

Miranda IM is a program like Trillian, a program that allows you to chat on all four IM networks (aim, msn, yahoo, icq) and irc, but it’s tiny:

“Miranda IM is a multi protocol instant messenger client.No bloat, it’s Easy and Small! Miranda IM is designed to be resource efficient and easy to use. It uses very little memory and requires no installation. Just unzip and run! This also makes it ideal for users that want to run their messenger client from a removable storage such as an USB memory stick. It can even be stored on a floppy disc if not too many plugins are used. “

http://www.miranda-im.org/

Man, I am officially addicted to podcasts * now! I’ve never come close to filling up my iPod mini… ever. But now that I’ve discovered podcasts, I’m close!

I love information. I love to read but I’m a slow reader and I have what *I* call reading ADD; I never finish a book, I read five at once, etc. (That’s why I surf so much, it’s great for short-attention-span ppl like me.)

And when I do read, it has to be non-fiction. I don’t like fiction that much. I don’t get why someone would spend their time reading something that isn’t even true. Maybe that’s because I read so slow. I don’t mind fictional movies, so go figure. If I do read fiction, I like to learn something from it, like about another culture, etc.

One of my favorite things used to be listening to audio books in the car, and of course it’d be non-fiction. Books on tape, then books on cd. Then I tried audib1e for a year and I really hate it. It’s too locked down and alot of times the sound quality is crap and then a file will jump to the wrong chapter like they made the sound file wrong.

But now w/ podcasting, it’s even BETTER. There are podcasts about EVERYTHING! Knitting, technology, religion, and as Leo pointed out, some lady is teaching her husband the language of Zimbabwe, so she made audio files and decided to share them. Now ANYone can use them. Who’d want that you wonder? Some people DO! And you’d never see that on tv or on the radio.

Of course my favorites are the tech ones, the best being TWIT **. I asked on the Leoville forums about what are some other good tech podcasts, and I got a great list. You can view the thread here:
leovilletownsquare.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/3573/
I’ve subscribed to all of them, and have listened to some of them. (By subscribing they are automatically downloaded when new episodes come out, see ipodder.sourceforge.net/index.php )

Here’s my podcast subscription list:

There are a TON of podcasts out there. Check out PodcastAlley.com. You can search, browse by genre, and there are tons. Just under “general” there are so many.

I’m so addicted!

* Podcast: A “radio-show” put in mp3 format so that you can listen to it on your ipod or any mp3 player, computer, or burn to cd.

** About TWiT: TWIT, or “This Week In Tech”, with Yoshi Deherrera, Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, Robert Heron, David Prager, Roger Chang and friends, from the original Tech TV, The Screen Savers and Call For Help. See twit.tv or ThisWeekInTech.com

I had written in detail before about M’s new iPod car stereo, including a description of how in MY car I had an aux cord run from the stereo, under the center console and it comes out in the console storage compartment. I can then plug that jack into any device’s headphone jack, laptop, cassette walkman, ipod, any mp3 player, etc.

When I listen to my ipod thru this the sound quality is incredible, MUCH better than an fm transmitter, which M had in his car until he got the iPod stereo. I can control the volume thru the stereo and everything.

I hated the sound of that fm transmitter, but the Aux cord is GREAT, and I like it much better than, say, an iPod jack because I can plug ANYthing into it, not just an ipod. And there’s nothing in the trunk, I hate the idea of going to the trunk to mess w/ CDs, etc.

I like M’s car iPod sterero beecause it charges the ipod, you can control the ipod (not just volume) w/ the stereo, and when you turn the car off the ipod goes to sleep. I may actually get the same car stereo he got, BUT even if I do, I’ll STILL have an aux cord run so that I can plug in any mp3 player, cassette walkman, laptop, whatever.

Here are some camera phone pix of my aux cord:

I posted this to a couple forums:

Is there any way to create a mod where I can use my bluetooth headset w/ my ipod mini?

I use this bluetooth headset w/ my cell phone:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000246XQE/

I listen to tons of tech podcasts while in the car over my car sterero and use the bluetooth headset in case I get a call on my cell phone.

But while I’m out of the car, like shopping, running errands, in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, etc., I’d like to use the bluetooth headset for both, even if I can’t use it for bot at the same instant, i.e. I’m sure the headset can only be connected to one device at a time, and that’s ok.

But it would be nice to get out of the car, and then listen to the podcast thru the bluetooth headset. Why this is better than headphones is because I like one ear free while walking around in public, waiting for my name to be called in dentist’s office, etc. Using my earbuds w/ one earpiece dangling is cumbersome, and it’d sure be easier to just leave the bluetooth headset in my ear and just disconnect the phone and connect the headset to the ipod.

Any thoughts?

…. Since posting that I found these links, but am not sure they are available yet and/or in the U.S.:

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/ipod/ipod-bluetooth-dongle-036032.php

http://icombi.nanzzang.com/product_02.asp

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=icombi+wireless+stereo+iPod+dongle&btnG=Search+Froogle

OOOOooo and:
http://store.yahoo.com/semsons-inc/dibblhafor3g.html
“The iBlue Bluetooth Handsfree for the iPod bridges iPod and Bluetooth enabled mobile phone seamlessly. When phone rings, with a simple push button, the music shuts off and phone call starts. When call ends, the music will resume automatically. All is done without changing the earphones.” AND they make one for the mini too:
http://store.yahoo.com/semsons-inc/dibmiblhafor.html

This is the shirt that I (and just about everybody else) wore at the Linux Lan Party today. 2 other guys had ‘em but forgot ‘em.

Thanks to my insomnia, I was able to catch TWIT 8A even tho’ I’m on the east coast, so you can go get a copy here:
mentalbites.com/asecondblog/twit

FAKE TEXTAMERICA phishing.
I got one of these today:
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/s/spammers.htm

A different phishing scheme that I didn’t even recognize at first, and I’m usually QUICK w/ this stuff!

A perfect fake of the textamerica site:
if I follow the link from the email.

BUT if I just type in textamerica.com and log in and go to “images waiting approval” (rather than following the link in the fake email), I get a DIFFERENT screen:

Damn these phishers are SLICK! Bastards. (yes, I just changed my password… several times.)

Amazing, they did an Episode #8 already! I figured they’d put it off a week. Those guys are just too dedicated.

Leo posted a list of mirrors in his ep7 post here:
http://thisweekintech.com/node/3791
Some of the mirrors he listed already have episode #8 up. Be sure to check them all.

Also, I’ll put a copy of it here: www.mentalbites.com/asecondblog/twit/ for as long as I have bandwidth to share. I’ve got plenty right now, so go for it.

I’m also seeding the torrent, just doing my part.

TWIT, or “This Week In Tech”, with Yoshi Deherrera, Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, Yoshi, Robert Heron, David Prager, Roger Chang and friends, from the original Tech TV, The Screen Savers and Call For Help.

THIS WEEK IN TECH #7 is out.
I use iPodder to check every half hour and yet it’s still sitting there saying “downloading” “0%”.

BUT I had great luck here:
http://tinyurl.com/e34hz
… at FileFront.com they have a page for TWIT #7. There are several mirros there and the wait is about 2 minutes, and you click “continue”, then wait, and then keep an eye on the page and click “download” when it says it’s ready.

So far that seems to be the best place to get it. Check it out.

UPDATE: I’ll put a copy here as well, but it’s only temporary… I have to watch my bandwidth. But so far as my bandwidth is ok, I’ll leave it up. www.mentalbites.com/asecondblog/twit

UPDATE 2: Various mirrors listed here on the leoville boards:
http://leovilletownsquare.com….
and in the comments of this digg.com post:
http://digg.com/technology/This_Week_In_Tech_TWiT_Episode_7_out_now

UPDATE 3: Don’t forget to DONATE to the TWIT project. Paypal links are at the Twit site.

Oh my god my *ss is sore, I’ve been on this computer all day. This is what happens when I get excited (obsessive-compulsive) about a new pet project. I spend all my waking hours, with little sleep, tweaking, tweaking, tweaking.

I spent the whole day at home, after getting up early, because I was waiting for the couch delivery guys to come. They never did. *sigh*

So I spent the whole day on the computer tweaking my new project.

Let me just say that DRUPAL KICKS FREAKING ASS!!!

I am IN LOVE w/ Drupal!

It lets me have seperate blogs for each of the girls that are organizing this new website / pet project, yet with each new post, the post is not only posted to the individual user’s blog, but ALSO to the front page. Just like Leo and the gang have it set up at the twit site. I loved how they had seperate blogs that each posted to the front page. So I looked up what powered their site, and that’s how I found Drupal.

I don’t know php, I’m used to MT and html and the template system. So my hands are rather tied as far as customization goes, at least while M is not nearby. But I’m making do, and learning what I can.

It is quite simply, the most amazing new content-management system out there. AND, it’s open-source! FREE!

I need to get to bed. My butt is numb.

I am at a Linux meetup right now, free wifi! Even at my old fav coffee place today I found out they new have free wifi. My cup runneth over!

There are about 12 linux geeks here, it’s great. I got a linux t-shirt. Black, yay!

I’m moblogging.

I’m trying to figure out Firefox. I’ve known all along that I’d love Firefox for all it’s extensions. But there is so much that I like about Mozilla…

I like that w/ one button (mozilla) I have my browser and my mail loaded. I like having them integrated. I’d rather do that than have to load Firefox and then load Thunderbird for mail.

Upon initially installing Firefox, I’m surprised at how dumbed-down it is, especially considering how many techies love it.

It doesn’t aske me WHERE I want to save a file and then doesn’t tell me where it SAVED it. I fixed that, but why, by default, is it so dumbed down? I know, for the dummies, but it doesn’t make sense that a browser so loved by techies would be like that by default.

Maybe they should have an “Advanced Mode” like many programs do, that, as soon as you install it, you turn on Advanced Mode and it changes all the defaults to allowing more control.

It even feels like IE. The bookmarks and history open up in a left-hand pane (if you open them from the bookmark menu) just like IE.

Idunno. I want to like Firefox.

But so far the only thing I like is the AdBlock and FlashBlock.

But I was the same way when I first switched from Netscape to Mozilla, so who knows, I’ll probably love it by this time next month.

Leo Laporte had asked in a recent episode of twit, what should we call twit listeners if “the twits” are Leo, Patrick, etc.?

I like TWIT HEADS. Jimmy Buffet fans are “Parrot Heads”, and there are “Dead Heads”, etc.

How about Twit Heads? I like “Twit Heads”.

UPDATE: Nevermind, it sounds too much like “sh*thead”.

Looking for a TWIT Message Board / forum? To discuss “This Week In Tech”, check out the TWIT forum at the Leoville Boards:

http://leovilletownsquare.com/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/52/

What’s TWIT? The reunion of Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, Yoshi, Robert Heron, Yoshi Deherrera, David Prager, Roger Chang, and friends. They do a “podcast” each week, a radio type show that you can listen to on your ipod or any mp3 player.

Ok, so I got twit 6 by downloading the mp3, but I went back once it came up and downloaded the .torrent file, so now I can share my copy.

Meanwhile, I’ll put a mirror (?) up, I’ll host a .torrent file here as well:

I hope this works, I’m not sure I know what I’m doing here…

http://mentalbites.com/asecondblog/twit/

Well, the new TWIT is out, episode 6 (This Week In Tech). But I can’t get it. Feedburner can’t download it, the twit site and Leo’s sites are all “slashdotted”. All I need is the .torrent file and then I can let it download in the background when it can. But all the sites are down. Agh!

QUESTION FOR YOU RE. WEB HOSTING:

I posted this to a forum, but maybe someone reading this has some input:

I hope someone can give me some advice re. web hosts.

I have always used OLM.net because they are great. I am REALLY happy w/ them.

But a friend and I are starting an experimental website and thought we’d go w/ some cheaper hosting from RegisterFly, who I use as my domain registrar for all my domain names.

Problem is, I called twice just now and after long hold times, they cut me off. That was twice just now. The last time I called I got a rude person who was not only rude, but was *completely* clueless. Did not know the answers, and would sit silent for 5 minutes at a time and then she’d give me a really lame “answer” that did not answer my question even remotely.

I’m starting to wonder if it’s worth it to use cheaper hosting!

Does anyone have any thoughts?

I added some more info to this post re. the car sterero:
http://www.mentalbites.com/asecondblog/archives/2005/05/feeling_better.html

Feeling ALOT better today, probably 80% better than I have since Monday. Still lots of symptoms, but they’re just not as severe.

M got his new car stereo put in his car (Nissan 350z) today. It’s great, it’s got a nice subtle look to it, so it doesn’t scream “STEAL ME!” yet it’s really great and has an ipod adapter.

I have a newer stereo in my car too, and what I had them do was they put in an aux cord that runs out the back of the car stereo and under the center console and comes out in a storage compartment betweenthe seats, and I can plug this into the headphone jack of anything; cassette walkman, palm pilot, camera that plays mp3s, any mp3 player, my ipod, a laptop, you name it. I really like my setup and it sounds fantastic, MUCH MUCH better than an fm transmitter.

But what’s nice about M’s new setup is that since it has an ipod adapter, it charges the ipod in the car and you can control the ipod using the knobs and button on the stereo. This I am a bit jealous of. Also, when you turn the car off or stereo off, the ipod pauses (and then goes asleep, I think), and then it picks up where you left off when you start the car again, never having to touch the ipod. For my setup, I have to pick up the ipod to change songs, etc., turn it on and off, and I have to charge it at home unless I want a second cord plugged in while in the car, which I don’t.

I might like to get the same stereo and setup that M got (The Kenwood EZ500, I highly recommend getting it at Crutchfield) because they have plenty in stock and they have a really great price and they include a fantastic install manual with photos… but if I do get that, I want to keep the aux cord setup that I currently have, because it’s nice to be able to plug it into anything that has a headphone jack, not JUST and iPod.

See here for a closeup pic:

My new favorite websites (New finds) that I am frequenting the last few days:

www.Digg.com
“Most technology websites allow users to suggest content by submitting links or stories to an editor. If the editor believes the story to be relevant to the masses, he or she moves the story to the homepage. With digg, users also submit links for review. But rather than allowing an editor to decide which links go on the homepage, the users do.”

www.ThisWeekInTech.com
or
www.twit.TV
Leo LaPorte, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, and friends are BACK!!!!! They are doing a “This Week In Tech” PODCAST (show you can listen to on your ipod, mp3 device, computer, etc.). I’m beside myself I’m so happy!

http://feeds.feedburner.com/twit
Download the twit episodes here as well as a Podcast Downloader (podcasts are distributed via RSS)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast
Wikipedia’s explanation of podcasts.

PodCastAlley.com
“Podcast Alley is the podcast lovers portal. Featuring the best Podcast Directory and the Top 10 podcasts (as voted on by the listeners). You will also find podcast software, the podcast forum and great podcasting info.”
Forums too!

I’m trying to figure out podcasts. I found that link the other day here, but I don’t know if it’s the official site. It says I need to download software in order to download podcasts, but I have no idea WHY. So I went to Kevin Rose’s site and he doesn’t link to the site I found, but the site he links to, ThisWeekInTech.com doesn’t load, at least not at the moment.

I’m dying to hear these podcasts. Those guys had a great thing before g4TechTv killed it, the bastards.

Also, I CAN’T get my new laptop to accept my ipod. It’s like it will only work on the old laptop. I have no idea how to get the ipod transferred to the new laptop.

Wow, this explains what’s been going on w/ my ISP:

“Why Comcast is chasing DNS outages”

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=1279

We switched from Sprint-Earthlink DSL to Comcast Cable Modem service a few months ago. We thought we had dns problems, but it might have just been that our router needed new firmware. We stuck w/ cable cuz it was just so much FASTER.

Out of laziness, we still had DSL as well.

There have been a TON of dns problems w/ comcast lately, so we’ve been switching between dsl and cable alot. Word on the street (web) was that comcast was having bad dns problems, which was obvious to us. Now ZDNet and the like are picking up the story. It’s bad. They better get their act together. I like the ultra fast cable modem service, but what good is it if half the time the sites you are looking at just stop working?

Last night we went for indian food for dinner, and then we went to Circuit City, then Best Buy, and then CompUSA.

It seems Circuit City has much cooler stuff than any of them, at least more than CompUSA, at least in the camera department. I really loved this:

The Cyber-shot

I caved.

I had to have __it__. I could only find one place online that had it in pink, and since last night, blue and green sold out, and only pink was left. So I jumped on it.

I’m such a SUCKER for cameras. I just really wanted a “mini DV” that saved to a flash card. I have a “real” camcorder which is small for what it is, but it’s still bulky and saves to tape so then I have to move over to M’s Mac and boot it up and “capture” the video (sit and wait while it plays the whole tape).

Believe me, if I ever want quality video, I’ll use my sony HC-20, it’s a wonderful camcorder.

But, for fun, for around town, for from-the-hip shots of wierd old people in the mall, (reminescent of pencam photos), this will be great.

Pink’s the color I wanted, so I’m happy that pink was still available.

Well, this weekend we’re going to have an ebay-fest, put a bunch of stuff up on ebay and make a few bucks (to kinda offset the guilt).

UPDATE: It won’t arrive until a week from Monday.

I had a realization today. When I was 13 [around 1983], I had a Texas Instruments computer, I think it was this one:

At the time, my “boyfriend” (We were 13, we held hands, and went rollerskating) and I decided to have a discussion via the computer. He’d type stuff in when I was out of the room, then we’d switch places, and then I’d type replies, etc etc.

It hit me today that this was some very primitive form of computer chat, of instant message. It’s kinda funny when you think about it.

Today our Cable Modem connection was terrible, all day. We still have DSL too, so we switched over and it’s much better.

I went to DSL Reports and ran a speet test on cable and then on dsl after we switched over.

(click for image)

What’s interesting is that the download on the screwed-up cable was faster than the better dsl (today dsl is better), but upload was what was bad. Even sending page requests, etc., was bad enough to make surfind painfully slow.

I saw a lady using this camera at an event this past weekend, but I never got a chance to ask her what it was. Does anyone know what kind of camera this is?

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

M surprised me and got me a bluetooth headset for my phone. The thing actually hurt my ear quite a bit (a Plantronics one), so I tried his (a Jabra one) and it was MUCH better.

It’s so comfy that I actually wore it the whole time I was out and about yesterday, on the road, in stores, etc.